UK immigration statistics released by the Home Office

Visa Bureau is not affiliated with the Australian Government but is an independent UK company. Australian visas are available from the Australian Government at a lower cost or for free when you apply directly. Our comprehensive visa and immigration services include immigration advice from registered migration agents, a 100% success rate, document checking and expedited visa processing.

The Home Office has released the latest statistics on UK immigration from the eight accession countries in Eastern Europe, showing that work applications have fallen to their lowest level since 2004.

While the government has tried to reduce UK immigration from non-EU countries so that it could better deal with the receding economy, immigration from Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia and the Czech Republic seems to be taking the initiative itself.

In the first quarter of 2009, UK work applications from these countries were down by around 25,000 when compared with the same period last year. Also, statistics show that those moving to the UK are younger, and 84 per cent are working full-time weeks.

The Bulgarian and Romanian Association and Statistics also shows that UK immigration from these nations has been the lowest since they joined the EU in 2007.

Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Phil Woolas said that the figures intimate that Eastern European countries are gradually increasing their prosperity and creating better conditions for workers to return home.

"In addition there are now, according to independent research, around 1.5 million British people working in other countries in the European Union. Nevertheless, the government will continue to do everything it can to ensure that migration works for everyone."

The UK Visa Bureau is an independent consulting company specialising in UK immigration and visa services.